There were no crisps or other unhealthy snacks at my parents’ house so I improvised. Oatcakes with Swedish roe paste (dad loved it, mum hated it), olives stuffed with anchovies, and the surprise random addition, crystallised stem ginger pieces. Continue reading New bites
I told you I like Bar Polskie. Here are some of their vodka delights. Oak and quince flavour. They have a massive range of other nice flavours (traditional ones, not trashy vodka flavours). My favourite drink though, was not vodka, but mead. We also had pickled gherkins, pickled herring, and pierogi to eat on the side. Continue reading Bar Polskie
My friend made me an espresso martini. It was a very tasty pick-me-up for the end of the week. If you have your own coffee machine then it should be relatively straight forward. 1 part espresso, 1 part kahlua and 2 parts vodka, put into a cocktail shaker with ice, give a very vigorous shake to chill the freshly brewed coffee, then pour into a … Continue reading Espresso Martini
When I was based in Sri Lanka, a country where they know how to work hard and drink harder, it was almost essential that alcohol was served with food. The Sinhalese actually use the word ‘bites’ to describe this. It was during my time in this fascinating, beautiful but complex country that the importance of serving tasty nibbles with your drink was strongly instilled in … Continue reading Sri Lankan bites
I begin with the basics. For reasons I do not understand, a martini must be drunk from the glass which is easiest to spill from and the easiest to break. If you’re too drunk, you might end up spilling the martini before you get the chance to drink it – although this may be a blessing in disguise. I imagine that the long stem allows … Continue reading The Martini Glass
My mother texted to say that my father’s martinis were better than mine. It turns out that dad had hijacked her phone and was attempting to taunt me. Nonetheless he claimed to have developed my technique a little further to improve the quality of the drink and was quietly confident that his new secret method made his drinks better than mine. He is very creative … Continue reading Double lemon
One of the most vital elements of a martini is the temperature. It has to be cold. Extremely cold! It is for this reason that I keep the gin and the glasses in the freezer. The glasses should be in there for at least 10 minutes (but preferably a few hours – and I normally just keep them in there permanently). The gin should ideally … Continue reading Temperature
There is one more essential ingredient to my martinis: lemon. It must be fresh and firm, bright and bursting with lemon oil under its skin. It’s this oil that is the key ingredient. Take a normal peeler and skim off a strip of jlemon peel. With the yellow waxy side (not the white pith side) facing down, twist and squeeze the peel over the glass … Continue reading Lemon
Martinis should ideally be served with snacks to compliment the strong, icy flavour of the drink. Olives are always a winner, and there are so many varieties to enjoy. Nuts are also good, as the saltiness goes so well with the martini. I like salted pistachios in their shells most of all. Japanese seaweed snacks work very well. Bombay mix is a classic. Miniature rice … Continue reading Bites
As I have already implied, the act of drinking a martini is almost sacred. If you’re going to consume such a large amount of alcohol in one drink you’ve got to make it count. As such, in addition to the drink itself, the temperature, the accompanying nibbles, etc, you should also consider the location. Unless your temperament suggests otherwise, you wouldn’t want to have one … Continue reading The perfect martini setting
